


Puppy Love

by Russ (Quasar)



Series: Time Heals [5]
Category: The Sentinel
Genre: M/M, Missing Scene, Pre-Slash, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-02
Updated: 2014-08-02
Packaged: 2018-02-11 11:05:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2065770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quasar/pseuds/Russ
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Naomi tries to figure out how Jim feels about Blair.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> Written March 1998. Takes place after the episode "Spare Parts."

Jim watched the news with the volume turned all the way down, but his eyes kept straying to the figure that sat motionless in the middle of his living room, legs crossed and eyes closed. Meeting Naomi Sandburg had certainly cleared up a lot of things for Jim about his partner. In fact, it was a wonder Sandburg wasn't even more weird, considering the kind of upbringing he must have had.

But what really surprised Jim about Naomi was her youth. She must have been a teenager when she had Blair! How could she raise a son by herself at that age? And how could the mother of his best friend be so beautiful?

Naomi's eyes opened, and she smiled sweetly at Jim as if he had complimented her out loud. Then she stretched, showing off a figure that would have been impressive at any age. Jim swallowed hard and clicked off the TV. With a nod to Naomi, he retreated upstairs to his bedroom and began to change out of the clothes he had worn to work.

He could hear her puttering around in the kitchen, humming to herself, getting things out of the refrigerator and chopping and arranging. That particular dull clang was the plate on which she had put the leftover tongue Blair hadn't finished. Jim frowned; hadn't Naomi said she was a vegetarian?

A moment later, she was walking up the stairs, the care of her footsteps indicating that she must be carrying something. Jim grabbed hastily for a shirt and pulled it over his head, but the gleam in Naomi's eyes as she reached the top of the stairs showed that she must have caught a glimpse of some skin. Jim felt an unaccustomed blush warming his face. He wasn't usually she about his body.

Naomi settled gracefully on the edge of the bed and laid a plate of meat, crackers and fruit on the bedspread. In her other hand were two wineglasses, and clamped under her elbow was an unmarked green bottle.

"I thought you might like something to eat, Jim," she said with that mile-wide smile of hers.

"Uh -- thanks, but --"

"And this wine was made by some friends of mine in California -- you have to try it." Without waiting for an answer, she busied herself in pouring.

Jim accepted a glass, and had to admit the sweet white wine was very nice.

Naomi served herself a cracker with cheese and an apple slice on top. "Have you tried the tongue?" she asked, licking delicately at her fingertips. "It's really quite delicious."

The heat of Jim's blush was spreading downward, becoming a more familiar warmth. He had to stop this, now. "Naomi, I really don't think this is a good idea."

She looked up at him consideringly, and for a moment he thought she would deny any ulterior motive. But Sandburgs, apparently, were made of more forthright stuff. "Why not? You like me, I like you . . ."

Jim swallowed. "Naomi, you're . . . you're a very attractive woman. But -- you're Sandburg's mother. I think he'd be really upset if we, um, did anything."

"He did give that impression, didn't he? It's very odd -- you know, Blair has never been jealous of me before."

What was that supposed to mean? Jim kept his mouth shut.

Naomi had another bite of cheese, this time in a more straightforward fashion. "Do you always avoid doing things that will upset Blair?"

"No, of course not. But I don't go around looking for ways to hurt him, either. I just don't think this is a good idea."

She held out a cracker with a slice of tongue on it. "Here. Try it."

Jim accepted reluctantly and bit into the unfamiliar meat. It was disturbing to feel the taste buds on the edge of the slice, but he had to admit the stuff wasn't bad. "It's . . . okay."

Naomi pushed the plate aside a little and sat up straighter. All trace of seduction was gone from her manner, although her figure was still enough to set Jim's heart racing. "I've always tried so hard not to be one of those controlling mothers. Tried to give Blair the freedom to be himself. And I think he's turned out to be a very wonderful person."

"He is."

Naomi smiled briefly. "But now I'm discovering this protective streak I never knew I had. I never realized it could be so hard to let go, to let Blair find his own path and make his own mistakes."

Cautiously, Jim sat down opposite the plate of cold cuts from her. "I know you're worried about the danger he could be in from working with me, but I swear to you I always do my best to keep him out of the way of trouble."

She shook her head. "It's not that. Of course I'm still worried about the police work -- now that I've actually seen what he does, it's going to take me a lot of processing to come to terms with it. But I've had that discussion with Blair, and I know I'm not going to change his mind. What I've been thinking about today -- just now, while I was meditating -- was the way Blair feels about you."

"About me." Jim tried another slice of tongue.

"Yes. It worries me. I've never seen him so infatuated with anyone as he is with you."

Jim gaped. "Wait a second . . . infatuated? You make it sound like he -- like we -- well, like we're a couple or something."

"Oh, I know that's not the way it is. It's obvious you won't let yourself be attracted to a man. And you've completely repressed your feminine side, as well. But where does that leave Blair?"

Jim's head was spinning. " _I'm_ straight? What about Sandburg? He only goes out with women!"

"He does? Oh, dear. But maybe he just hasn't let you see that other side of him."

"Are you telling me Sandburg is gay?"

"No, of course not. He's bisexual, like everyone else."

Jim stared.

"But you see, that's just the point. Either he's hiding that part of himself for fear of the way you would react, or he's so in love with you that he's stopped dating other men entirely. Either way it can't be healthy."

"In love with me?"

"Well, what would you call it?"

Jim gathered his scattered thoughts. "Sandburg is . . . fascinated by me. He admires me, yes. He also treats me like a lab rat. He complains about me. He thinks I'm anal and obsessive-compulsive, and incapable of watching out for myself. He is _not_ in love, in lust, or infatuated with me!"

Naomi's gaze was uncomfortably penetrating. "I didn't realize you would be so closed to the idea. I suppose I shouldn't have brought it up."

A deep breath seemed to help relax him, just as Sandburg kept saying. "Look, Naomi, I know you just want to protect Blair -- but if you're trying to scare me away, it's not going to work."

"You mean you _could_ be scared away just by knowing that your partner and roommate desires you sexually?"

_Hell yes!_ screamed one part of Jim's brain. "That's not what I said. I'm saying I've never seen any sign of what you're talking about. I'm saying I think you want your son's involvement with police work to end, and you're willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen."

Naomi was glaring now. "You're right. I do want Blair away from your guns and your nightsticks and your totalitarian attitudes. But I would _not_ resort to lies or emotional blackmail -- I don't do that sort of thing!" She stood up, nearly knocking over her wine glass. "Perhaps I shouldn't be discussing this subject with you, but I wanted to make sure you're aware of just what you're doing to my son. Apparently you're not aware. You don't want to _be_ aware. Well, fine, Mr. Super-pig, you just trample all over my son's feelings whenever you want to, because if you don't see it, it obviously can't exist!"

"Naomi, wait!" Jim said as she headed for the stairs. "I didn't mean it like that."

She paused at the top of the stairs, breathing deeply and slowly. "I am letting this go. I am letting this go."

"I didn't mean you were lying. I'm sure you believe . . . what you said. But you don't know -- Blair isn't -- it couldn't possibly be true. He just doesn't feel that way about me." Sandburg, pining away because of an unrequited crush on Jim? It was absurd.

She turned to face him. "You're wrong, you know."

"I don't think so. Look -- maybe we could just agree to disagree? We both want Blair to be safe and, and happy. He won't like it if we're at each other's throats."

She watched him for a full minute. "You're right, we shouldn't argue. But will you consider the possibility that I'm right about Blair? Just . . . watch out for him. Watch out for his feelings, that's all I'm asking."

Jim sighed. "Naomi, I watch out for him every day. Yeah, I'll think about what you said."

She smiled stiffly. "Fine. Then we should let this issue go. Why don't we talk about something else?"

"Like what? Sports?"

"Oh, I know!" This time the smile was genuine. "Jim . . . if you object to doing something that would upset Blair, does that mean you would object to something that would embarrass him?" Naomi cocked her head to one side.

"What did you have in mind?" Jim asked suspiciously.

"Well, I have some pictures downstairs . . ."

"Of when he was little?" Jim felt a grin stretch across his face.

Naomi nodded. "He was such an adorable baby, I never could resist taking pictures of him."

"Well, you know what they say," Jim said. "Embarrassment is good for the soul."


End file.
